Verizon Reverses Decision To Block Pro-Choice Group's Text Message Program

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First Posted: 09-26-07 06:53 PM   |   Updated: 03-28-08 02:45 AM

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The New York Times:

Saying it had the right to block "controversial or unsavory" text messages, Verizon Wireless last week rejected a request from Naral Pro-Choice America, the abortion rights group, to make Verizon's mobile network available for a text-message program.

But the company reversed course this morning, saying it had made a mistake.

Read the whole story: The New York Times

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- kardwell I'm a Fan of kardwell 7 fans permalink

Hey -- maybe my letter to the Senior Vice President of Investor Relations threatening to escalate a boycott made a difference after all. Hit 'em on the bottom line....

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:54 PM on 09/28/2007

It's nice when smarter heads prevail- it happens so infrequently these days- they're becoming moments of miracles.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:40 AM on 09/28/2007
- drblack I'm a Fan of drblack 19 fans permalink

Hit them where it hurts...their pocketbook.
Verizon wants to control the internet as well and this would be bad PR in the effort to convince people that verizon cares about freedom.
If Hillary is elected you will find the internet will change into something akin to commercial TV.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:04 PM on 09/27/2007

One thing about Verizon is that it's one of those companies that kind of seems to have one
foot in both the US and Mexico, countries where
views on the issue of abortion are fairly
different. The predominant view in Mexico by all appearances seems to have a commonality
with a more Catholic attitude, where in the US,
it's recognized that birth control is an
important resource to fight poverty and
overpopulation.

You have to wonder, if they're trying to do
real-time censorship of people's text messages,
what might be happening to all that business
information people talk about on the cell phone? Maybe it's no accident that the richest
man in the world lives in Mexico? Hmmm...

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:37 PM on 09/27/2007

dump Verizon!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:47 PM on 09/27/2007

http://www.antiwar.com/orig/ellsberg.php?articleid=11674


Daniel Ellsberg Speech, "WE HAD A COUP". GOP vote against Habeaus Corpus.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:25 PM on 09/27/2007

Cancelled my Verizon Wireless 4 months.

T-moble, better price and service

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:25 PM on 09/27/2007
- VOTER I'm a Fan of VOTER 189 fans permalink
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Wow! I sent them an email early this morning and got them to change their minds.

Pat on the back!!!!

The corporate Boo-sh Gang Fools at the company should be fired. After all they are taking order from a Chimp.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:06 PM on 09/27/2007
- Nyla785 I'm a Fan of Nyla785 9 fans permalink

Too many big communications companies are trying to control their customers in order to put too many political policies into effect. They don't seem to know they are crippling their own businesses.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:44 PM on 09/27/2007

Oh, great. Next the church will be asking to text bible messages. By the way....pro-choice has been around for thousands of years....Known as keep your legs closed ladies.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:18 PM on 09/27/2007
- Destin I'm a Fan of Destin 55 fans permalink
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And allow me to speak for all men, keep the zipper zipped up. Or the buttonfly buttoned. ;)

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:27 PM on 09/27/2007
- Podewumun I'm a Fan of Podewumun 32 fans permalink

Verizon said (sic) it had the right to block "unsavory or controversial" text messages.

There goes thumb sex.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:33 PM on 09/27/2007
- forpeace I'm a Fan of forpeace 351 fans permalink
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*

"anIndependent
........Known as keep your legs closed ladies."
===============================

Your message is UnIntelligent and Abusive towards females!

*

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:32 PM on 09/27/2007
- kkuchenb I'm a Fan of kkuchenb 3 fans permalink

Who needs Verizon? Sign up for Working Assets. They actually support NARAL and many other progressive groups.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:42 PM on 09/27/2007
- AlP I'm a Fan of AlP 4 fans permalink

Why on Earth would they care about what is being text messaged here? It's not like you're planning terrorist attacks.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:33 PM on 09/27/2007
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If it's spam I sure as hell don't want any. Last time I checked text message cost money, but even if they are free I do not want spam.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:42 PM on 09/27/2007
- Destin I'm a Fan of Destin 55 fans permalink
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Text messaging costs money?? LMFAO, that's like 20th century mentality isn't it?? We should drag the USA into the 21st century and start using email, instant messagers and voip and all those other "evil" things that are free or cheap.

It's no wonder that anything that is a threat to capitalism, is against the law. Someone could murder a member of my family, and it be caught on film with 500 witnesses, it's a crime that will largely go unsolved and little investigated for decades.

But cheat on your tax return, or rig a way to get free television, or rig a way to piggy-back on someone's wireless.... and the cops will have your ass in jail in no time, sometimes the very same day.

It's obvious, not only is our economy driven by money, but also our laws are driven by money. ;)

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:25 PM on 09/27/2007
- Podewumun I'm a Fan of Podewumun 32 fans permalink

Exactly how long, do you think, did it take before some genius at Verizon figured out they'd be losing money?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:43 PM on 09/27/2007

Verizon might as well be named Republican Phone Company they give Billions to the Republican and bupkis to Democrates. They are the Nazi phone company.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:00 PM on 09/27/2007
- Destin I'm a Fan of Destin 55 fans permalink
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Odd, Verizon and other text messaging services allow drug dealing to be used on their text messaging, lol, but they don't want pro-choice messages. Odd behaviour.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:05 PM on 09/27/2007

Your right I don't want my tax money going to raiseing a bunch of unwanted kids.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:21 PM on 09/27/2007
- Qbear I'm a Fan of Qbear 51 fans permalink

Verizon probably does have the legal right to deny NARAL services, but Verizon you just lost EXACTLY one half of America as potential customers....REALLY REALLY Stupid businesss decision.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:04 PM on 09/27/2007
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Just sent to Verizon:
Dear Verizon,

I have read several accounts today which indicate that VZW has blocked text messages to its subscribers based upon the content or subject of the messages, and not based upon the request from the receiving customer. As you are well aware, voice telecommunications are covered by provisions in Federal law to preserve the privacy of parties. Carriers, such as VZW may not block voice communications between parties, and may not reveal the calls themselves, are the parties thereto without being served a warrant describing probable cause.

The revelation that text messages from NARAL were blocked on your network is of great concern to me as a matter of Freedom of Speech, and a preemptive prohibition against that organization's right to communicate information to members, and other parties. In my view, VZW has exercised crass judgment in exempting text messages from privacy provisions that you know include voice, e-mail, and access to the web. To further exercise prohibition of text messages based upon your own corporate judgment of propriety, or worse, that of a third party or government entity, who has requested it, is a travesty and an abuse of the license granted to VZW.

I demand that VZW immediately cease and desist from imposing any restrictions upon the transmission of text messages based upon subject or content. As a customer and subscriber for wireless and landline services, I am appalled that VZW and Verizon would tacitly exercise such censorship. This is particularly true in light of Verizon's recent willing cooperation to release private records to the Federal Government without the requisite warrants under numerous federal statutes.

I choose my vendors based upon rates, service, and ethics. I am dismayed and ashamed to say that VZW and Verizon have failed miserably as good citizens, adherents to the statutes which govern you, and fair and open partners to its customers.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:48 AM on 09/27/2007

Verizon backed off...A win for free speech....

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:05 PM on 09/27/2007

It was the correct choice. We already kill 1 million unborn babies a year, why make it any easier?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:44 AM on 09/27/2007

Who many of the unwanted kids have you adopted?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:24 PM on 09/27/2007

It's called free speech. We wouldn't want the constitution to get in the way of your religious beliefs.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:33 PM on 09/27/2007
- forpeace I'm a Fan of forpeace 351 fans permalink
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*

"ResidentChimp
It was the correct choice. We already kill 1 million unborn babies a year, why make it any easier?"
=============================

...and ya, let those babies born, so Republicans Kill them by sending them to WARS!

*

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:36 PM on 09/27/2007
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